The Spatial Correlation Network of China’s High-Quality Development and Its Driving Factors

The spatial correlation of high-quality development has emerged as a crucial approach to tackling economic polarization. This study assesses the level of high-quality development in China from 2006 to 2020, utilizing the new development concept. Social network analysis is employed to explore the spatial correlation mechanism of high-quality development. The quadratic assignment procedure (QAP) is used to analyze the driving factors that impact spatial correlation systems from both internal and external perspectives. The research indicates that China’s level of high-quality development has consistently improved between 2006 and 2020. The spatial correlation network has increasingly become more connected, while the eastern provinces, specifically Shanghai and Beijing, have a significant influence in the spatial correlation of high-quality development. However, the central and western provinces, such as Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia, occupy peripheral positions in this network. Furthermore, clear spatial correlation and spillover effects are apparent among the dimensions. From an internal standpoint, innovation, greenness, openness, and sharing are the key factors that contribute to establishing a high-quality development network. In addition, external elements such as financial development, social consumption, and convenient transportation are interconnected in space, which promote the creation of a high-quality development network. Local protectionism and population concentration impede the establishment of a high-quality development network.